Yuki and the Starlit Forest
by StarflightLunaSpirit
Summary: (This story is discontinued and is now available for reading at the website Archive of Our Own under my username SilverStarStrike and is now named Starlit Memories)
**A Broken Circle**

...

There was only silence, but the peaceful kind. Droplets of water then fell from the sky and doused the once-raging fires. Slowly but surely, grass and plants started to grow from the charred earth. A thin gray fog blurred out the naked black trees' appearance.

From the midst of the rising smoke, a humble creature of darkness came into the edge of the great Spirit Tree's meadow. In her arms, she carried her son, who went through countless near-death experiences just to save his... _their_ home. The she-creature gently placed the young forest spirit on the ground. She softly ran a paw through the top of her child's head, her almost pitch black hand brushing against his snow white fur.

"Thank you, my little Ori..." Despite her large and chubby appearance, her voice was soft and sweet.

She raised her head when she sensed multiple presences. White figures appeared through the smokey undergrowth. Leading them was a forest spirit like Ori, but she was older compared to the young hero. Four frills sprouted from the top, their rounded tips waving whenever the rain hit them. Two small ears hung from the back of her head in exhaustion, while the extended fur from her legs collected soot and dirt. Branching from behind her was a group of the wild canines of Nibel, the white spirit wolves. Blue markings of all kinds of patterns glowed dimly from their fur.

The leading spirit raised a furry paw to signal the wolves to stop. They obeyed. Ori's mother and the female spirit looked at each other in perplexion, before the bigger creature slowly got up and gave a warm smile. The wolves exchanged confused glances among themselves. Who was that creature? What was she doing with one of their allies' kind? They did not question Vita, for she was more wise than the eldest of their pack.

Vita approached the weak, but alive forest spirit. She looked where his mother went. The mysterious creature was talking with another fellow creature of the shadows. Long, nimble limbs sprouted from the bottom of his head. The top and back of his head had numerous spine-like frills. Worry clouded his yellow-white eyes. The other creature was unfamiliar with the wolves that accompanied her, but Vita knew what and who he was.

"Naru!" Gumo, the last of the Gumon, bounded to his friend, "I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you..." His words trailed off as Naru gestured to Vita and the wolves. The two of them then looked at the top of the Spirit Tree.

A loud but gentle voice was heard, "Ori is now in good hands. I must thank you Naru, Gumo, and Kuro. My... _Our_ land would have perished if it were not for your love." A moment of silence hung in the air in tribute to the great mother owl. The great Spirit Tree then continued, "The story of ' _Ori and the Blind Forest'_ shall be known to all."

With a few more moments of silence, Naru and Gumo left the light beings to themselves. The land still slowly continued to renew itself. The gray clouds were shifted slowly into a white color. The bleak and dead sky changed into a rich sky blue. The earth calmly transformed into a luscious green landscape, even while the scars of the vicious wildfire showed clearly.

Ori's eyes opened and blinked away the bright sunlight. His breathing was slowed and weak, yet calm and soft. His fur was still unkempt and several wounds were dug deep into his skin. Even while he was near the Spirit Tree, he felt weak.

Ori shakily lifted himself from the ground. Vita knelt by him and laid a paw on his shoulder, "Rest yourself young spirit, don't exceed your limit." She then nodded to the wolves, signalling them to go back to their own territory, so that they shall tend to their own problems.

"Where...where am I?" Ori's hoarse voice croaked, "Who are...who are you?" His black eyes widened when he saw Vita.

"Do not fear me, I am Vita. You are now in the meadow of the Spirit Tree." Vita gestured to the healing land, "Your name shall be known to those who hear, but now you must heal."

She kept an eye on Ori as she trotted over to a surviving bush filled with bright green herbs. Extending a short sharp claw, she cut off some of the stems and brought a handful over to the younger spirit. She even managed to snag some short lianas. They weren't as strong as she hoped, but they would have to do for now. While Ori winced and hissed in pain when Vita patched his wounds, he looked at the now almost healed Spirit Tree. The blue and white glow shone in the tree's crown. Faded tendrils of light trailed from the core to the far away corners. They faded when the surrounding areas were restored. Ori smiled when he heard a warm friendly hum from the treetop.

"Yeah, I'm glad to see you're safe as well Sein." He said.

With one more wince, he stood up on his own hooves. Vita helped him along but let him go when he assured her that he could walk. He sat on a log and gazed out into the meadow. The meadow was dotted with white flowers. Ori gazed up at the top of the Spirit Tree as numerous white leaves fell from above. Most of the leaves disappeared to become a part of nature when they touched the ground. The bigger leaves simply landed before shining in brilliant lights. With every light that faded, a newborn spirit slept in its place.

He watched on as a small but new generation of forest spirits grow.

...

Several moons passed on ever since the day the great owl Kuro made her sacrifice. Vita, the Shaman of Nibel, helped Sein, the Light and Eyes of the Spirit Tree, with the raising of the newborns. Ori visited the great tree of light whenever he could find time, but he spent most of his time with his adoptive mother, Naru, and his brotherly friend Gumo. The fatherly tree understood and let Ori spend more time away from him. The young hero often helped with raising a newborn owl that Naru took in. Hume was no ordinary owl, as he was the last surviving son of Kuro. He grew up in his adoptive family's cavern, even while he was almost as big as Gumo himself.

Everything seemed to be going well as the Season of New Lives passed onto the Season of White Flowers...

Except...a circle wasn't complete...

...

The mid-day sun hovered in the sky, its rays shining down from Thornfelt Swamp's canopy. Dragonflies and other insects flew above the crystal clear water. Fish of all sorts swum underneath the surface and breached to catch unsuspecting insects. Towering trees covered the land along with moss. Some branches hung so low that they almost touched the water. The buzzing of insects and frogs croaking were the only things that were heard.

"Ah Nibel, the land is healing so well." Vita lovingly chimed as she scooped up water with a handmade bowl, "Soon every living creature can live in peace, even the restless rammers shall be at ease."

She then carefully carried the bowl to her home: a hollowed out tree with carved stairs and several nests built for more than one. Vita lightly pushed the cloth made for camouflage and entered the carved out hole. Her own luminance was enough to be a guide as she climbed the stairs and walked into the the first nest. Even with the single hole that acted as the window to the outside world, the nest was too dark. Vita flicked some red colored herbs from a small bowl and onto a short but sturdy stick. The stick's end lit up in a bright flame. Then she placed the alit stick in the center of a carved out hole on the floor.

A leafy bed was neatly placed on one side of the circular floor. Baskets filled with fruits of different kinds and colors were stacked in another corner. Dreamcatchers decorated with white feathers hung from the ceiling. Vita smiled sweetly as she looked at the almost faded paintings of her own adventures when she was a young spirit. She was thankful that the flames that almost burned down Nibel did not ruin the memorable drawings. What took up most of the walls were circles with dots around them. All of the circles were identical and followed a pattern.

Vita sighed almost quietly as she dipped a finger into a bowl of white paint, "The scars from Kuro's claws still show, the last group of Star Spirits have taken their toll." She carefully made another circle, "The Season of Bare Trees will slow the amends indeed..." The dotted patterns did not even surround half of the new circle.

A sudden gust of wind blew through Vita's home. She yelped as some embers were carried from the fireplace and onto the new painting, "No no no!" Vita raised a bowl of water to put out the flames. She slowly lowered it as her eyes widened.

Four embers singed black dots near the circle, burning a bright orange before fading. Another brief gust of wind blew more embers but along with black soot onto the circle. The new embers glowed red. They too died away. Her mouth was agape as she shakily touched the ashes. Her white furry paw brushed up against the blackened painting.

Images of seeing a rare white mouse being snatched up by an unusually large four-eyed bird crossed Vita's mind. The sign from the past foretold the destruction that Kuro caused in a blinded rage. Vita knew what was happening. Nibel has sent her an omen. Four embers and many more were to destroy the circle.


End file.
